


Hold Me While You Wait

by ChocolateCapCookie



Series: Cookie's Stocking Fills [13]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Panic Attacks, Post-Avengers (2012), Protective Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers Feels, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:08:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29286561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocolateCapCookie/pseuds/ChocolateCapCookie
Summary: The big guy radiated warmth and heat and safety and Tonysowanted to snuggle up into his side, but he resisted. They were the co-leaders of the Avengers, and this was only the team’s second mission together. He couldn’t let Steve see him asweak.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Cookie's Stocking Fills [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2161581
Comments: 2
Kudos: 64
Collections: POTS (18+) Stony Stocking 2020





	Hold Me While You Wait

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fuzzyhamish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuzzyhamish/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [fuzzyhamish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuzzyhamish/pseuds/fuzzyhamish) in the [stony_stocking_2020](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/stony_stocking_2020) collection. 



“I think,” frowned Steve with all the precision and strategic prowess that came with the serum and his time as a soldier in the largest, most fatal battle in history, “we’re trapped.”

“No _fucking_ shit,” Tony gritted out. He tried once more to restart the gauntlet of the Iron Man armour, but no dice. It was deader than they would be in a couple of hours if they didn’t _get out of here_. “Fuck, I hate caves.”

Steve looked at him, and understanding seemed to dawn in his eyes. “After Afghanistan, huh?”

“I say this again with all the respect I have for you Steve, but yeah, _no fucking shit_.” Tony collapsed onto a pile of snow, bringing his knees up to his chest and hiding his head between them. He didn’t even care if he looked like a teenage girl right now — nobody was around to see him except Steve, and Steve had no idea what teenage girls in this century were like.

“Are you okay, Tony?”

“I’m fine,” said Tony, trying not to show Steve how terrified he really was. Caves were enough of a phobia for him by themselves, but the pitch-black darkness and the cold atmosphere and the fact that both the suit and JARVIS were dead and there was no way for them to send a signal to the Avengers — well, all of that just made his blood run cold. “I was just trying to figure out how we can get out of here.”

“The gauntlet didn’t work, huh?” Steve sighed and sat next to Tony on the floor. The big guy radiated warmth and heat and safety and Tony _so_ wanted to snuggle up into his side, but he resisted. They were the co-leaders of the Avengers, and this was only the team’s second mission together. He couldn’t let Steve see him as weak.

“No,” said Tony glumly, “and Jarvis is offline too. He could’ve got a signal out, but now, I don’t know how anyone will find us. It’ll take _hours_ , at the very least, and that’s on the slim chance they saw exactly where we crashed. If they’re going on SHIELD intel and weapons—” Tony let out a hysterical laugh “—well, at least our bodies will be well preserved with all this snow.”

“Don’t say that, Tony,” said Steve sharply, and Tony looked at him curiously, momentarily distracted from their situation. Was Steve as badly affected as he was, and just hiding it better? After all, the guy _had_ been frozen in ice for almost 70 years. Anyone would despise the cold after that, and sitting on fresh, cold snow in nothing but thin Kevlar would be terrible for anyone, and Steve with his super-sensitive super-skin would be feeling it worse than most people. “They’re not gonna find our — we’re not gonna die, okay? We’ll get out of here alive. I promise.”

Well, at least Steve wasn’t doing too badly.

“Yeah, Steve,” Tony mumbled, tryng to hide how bitterly cold and scared he was, “I’m sure everything’s gonna be alright. Santa’s gonna come pick us up in his sleigh and take us to Neverland, and oh! Maybe we’ll even meet the Queen of Hearts on the way back home.”

“The Queen of Hearts was the villain in that book, Tony,” smiled Steve, but the smile disappeared almost as quickly as it came. “Tony… you’re delirious.”

“I’m not,” mumbled Tony quietly. “I’m fine. Just cold.” He muttered, “and terrified,” under his breath.

“Tony,” said Steve, a little sadly, and before Tony could process what was happening, he was scooped up in Steve’s gigantic, warm arms, and Steve was cuddling him aggressively.

“Steve, what the fuck—”

“No, Tony, shut up and let me do this. I run warm, you know that, and I’d prefer that you don’t die of frostbite when I’m a literal human furnace.” He paused for a second, then continued a little more sombrely. “And I’m sorry I didn’t notice how scared you are. Caves, dark places, no suit — it’s the real trifecta of things that make Tony Stark freak out, huh?”

And Tony wanted to argue, he really did — he wasn’t a small child looking for comfort, he was an adult, he was Iron Man, he was the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company; but somehow, in Steve’s arms, he couldn’t stop himself from giving way to the fears and panic and tears he’d been bottling up.

“I hate it so much, Steve,” he mumbled through his tears. “I hate all of this, I want to go _home_.”

“I know, I know, Tony, I’m so sorry.” said Steve soothingly, hugging Tony harder than ever and running a comforting hand up and down his back. “You’re being so brave, Tony. I’m so proud of you.”

“I feel like I can’t breathe,” Tony sobbed, clutching onto Steve even tighter. “Everything here reminds me of the Ten Rings, and I don’t _want_ to remember that, Steve, _it hurts_.”

“Tony, honey, you’re okay,” said Steve, “Yes, we’re in a cave, but there’s no bad guys around and no one to kidnap you and put a car battery in your heart. You don’t have to work your way out of this, okay? The team knows where we are, I know they do, and I know they’ll come rescue us soon.”

Tony didn’t say anything in reply to that, merely crying softly into the crook of Steve’s neck. He now felt ashamed and vulnerable in addition to feeling cold and terrified and hopeless, but it had felt good to unload everything for a bit. It felt nice. And having Steve here — well, no doubt Steve knew how to comfort people, Tony thought stupidly through his brain fog, only vaguely registering Steve’s hands, one wrapped tightly around his waist, anchoring him to reality, and the other rubbing slow, soothing circles on his back.

Maybe… maybe, even if they didn’t get rescued… this wouldn’t be such a bad way to go out.

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for making your lovely prompt so angsty Fuzzy xD This thing just kinda took on a life of its own.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you like this because I am the BIGGEST fan of your work and your art and just... you as a person. Thank you for everything you’ve done for this fandom!


End file.
